Human-Machine Interface with Learning While Using Functionality

ABSTRACT

A human-machine interface with learning while using functionality, is involved with the fields of communication interface between human and machine. 
     The present invention lets users obtain intelligent and pertinent operation guides and/or help according to the user&#39;s operation situations and/or the document state without resorting to the user manual or the help system, providing an intelligent human-machine interface with learning while using functionality, thus augments greatly the ease of use for computers and electronic appliances.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is involved with the communication interface between human and machines.

The communication between human and computers or other electronic appliances is realized by commands. Commands for computers are invoked by mouse clicking on the commands, command buttons or command icons in the menu, toolbar and/or dialog boxes etc. of computer software or by short-cut key strokes. Commands for other electronic appliances are effectuated by selecting the commands, command buttons or command icons in the menu, toolbar and/or dialog boxes etc. of the software for the appliance or by pressing buttons on the key board for the appliance.

Among commands for computers or other electronic appliances, some are executed directly once invoked, they are easy to use; while others are conditional, they can be invoked and executed only when certain conditions are satisfied or after some other commands have been executed, these commands are termed conditional commands here, these commands are difficult to use and often require training or consulting manuals. Those key board buttons for electronic appliances which can be executed only when certain conditions are satisfied are here called conditional buttons.

In software for computers or other electronic appliances, these conditional commands are checked by the command update system in the software. If conditions for their execution are satisfied, they are activated and can be invoked to execute; otherwise they are “grayed” or de-activated and prevented from being invoked. Conditional buttons on electronic appliance key boards cannot be de-activated and are always operable, but it will cause no action if pressed down when conditions for its execution are not satisfied. These operation paradigms greatly increase the difficulty of use for computers and other electronic appliances. Beginners have to seek help from user manuals or help system and find their operational procedures inside vast amount of information. This might not be always successful and causes some difficulty for the general public. FIG. 1 is the flow chart for conditional commands for the paradigm in prior technology; FIG. 2 is the flow chart for the conditional buttons for the paradigm in prior technology.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one word, the treatment of conditional commands and conditional buttons in prior technology greatly increases the difficulty of use for computers and other electronic appliances. The current invention provides a different operational paradigm for conditional commands and conditional buttons by embedding intelligent descriptions, operation guides and/or help which are dependent on the document state and/or the user's operational situations inside conditional commands or conditional buttons so that users can directly obtain pertinent help according to their operation stages when they need it during use without any need to consult the user manual or help system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is the flow chart for conditional commands for the prior technology.

FIG. 2 is the flow chart for conditional buttons for the prior technology.

FIG. 3 is the flow chart for conditional commands for the current invention.

FIG. 4 is the flow chart for conditional buttons for the current invention.

FIG. 5 is the flow chart for the “Group Properties” conditional command in drawing software as an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is the flow chart for the “Channel Selection” conditional button in multi-purpose remote control as an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The technical schemes for realizing the human-machine interface with learning while using functionality in software for computers and other electronic appliances and in key board buttons for electronic appliances for the present invention are described in the following section, respectively.

In software for computers and other electronic appliances, conditional commands are not updated by the command update system and are always activated and invokable, they are instead embedded with various intelligent descriptions, operation guides and/or help which are dependent on the document state and/or the user's operational situations in the current invention. When a conditional command is invoked, if the conditions for its execution are not satisfied, the conditions to satisfy and the related operation steps for satisfying the conditions are displayed, operation guides pertinent to the current operation situations are given through examination of the state of the current document and/or the user's current operational situations or stage; if the conditions for its execution are satisfied, the conditional command is executed directly without displaying any help or operation guides. This approach not only saves the program block for the updating of the conditional command and speeds up program execution, but also provides pertinent description, operation guide and/or help according to user's operational situations when they are needed. This kind of help is given intelligently according to the document state and/or the user's operational situations, it will not be provided if the user is familiar with the operation of the conditional command and proceeds in the correct manner, not like some annoying tips which always pop-up. And this kind of help is timely and place-wise. If after a period of time or in a new place, the user forgets the correct operational procedure for a conditional command, the pertinent operation guides and/or help will be displayed when it is invoked as if it understands the user's thought. The human-machine interface built with the current invention provides timely, place-wise, thoughtful and pertinent help during use and thus has the learning while using functionality. FIG. 3 shows the flow chart for the technical scheme of conditional commands in software for the current invention.

In the prior technology, conditional buttons for electronic appliances will be effective only after some other related button have been hit, they will have not effects if pressed when conditions for their execution are not satisfied. The present invention embeds intelligent operation guides depending on the user's operational situations in conditional buttons. The operation guides will be displayed if conditional buttons are pressed when the operational conditions are not satisfied, providing pertinent help; while the command for the conditional button will be executed directly if it is pressed when its operational conditions are satisfied. Thus intelligent and pertinent help is provided when needed without the need to consult user manuals, while direct execution of the command will proceed if the user knows how to operate the conditional button and operates accordingly. The learning while using functionality is thus realized. FIG. 4 shows the flow chart for the technical scheme for conditional buttons in electronic appliances for the present invention.

Detailed Embodiment

The technical scheme for the present invention can be realized by software or by hardware and software together, the preferred embodiment is realized by software. An embodiment will be given in the following section for conditional commands in software for computers and other electronic appliances and for conditional buttons in electronic appliances, respectively.

For the embodiment of conditional commands in software for computers and other electronic appliances, take the “Group Properties” command in drawing and image processing software as an example. If the user wants to change the properties of a certain drawing group, firstly there must be drawing groups created in the current document, secondly the drawing group whose properties are to be changed must be selected. In prior technology, if there are no any drawing groups selected, the “Group Properties” command will be “Grayed” and de-activated, users have to consult the user manual or the help system to find out how to change group properties and/or how to create drawing groups among vast amount of information. This approach is troublesome, time-consuming and sometimes futile.

FIG. 5 shows the flow chart for the technical scheme of the “Group Properties” command for the current embodiment. The “Group Properties” command is not updated by the command update system and is always activated for operation. When this command is invoked by the user, the program flows into a conditional test: “Are there drawing groups selected?”; if “YES”, the condition is satisfied, the Group Property dialog box or property sheet is displayed for the user to modify the group properties of the selected drawing group or groups; if “NO”, i.e. conditions are not satisfied, the command cannot be executed directly, the program then flows to another conditional test (or a document state check): “Are there any drawing groups in the current document?”; if “YES”, operation guide “Select one or more drawing groups and then invoke the ‘Group Properties’ command.” Is displayed; if “NO”, another operation guide “Select drawing elements for a drawing group and execute the ‘Build Drawing Group’ command under the ‘Edit’ menu to create a drawing group and then select the created drawing group and invoke the ‘Group Properties’ command.” is displayed. Users proceed according to the operation guides and then invoke the “Group Properties” command again, “Are there drawing groups selected?” test succeeds and the command is executed directly. See FIG. 5.

The pseudo-code for the current embodiment is as follows:

GroupProperties( ) {  If <Drawing Group or Groups Selected>  {  Display Group Property Dialog Box or Property Sheet, User Makes  Modification and End.  }  Else  {   If <There Are Drawing Groups in Document>   {    Display Operation Guide “Select one or more drawing groups then    invoke ‘Group Properties’ command.”   }   Else   {    Display Operation Guide “Select drawing elements for a drawing    group and execute the ‘Build Drawing Group’ command under    the ‘Edit’ menu to create a drawing group and then select the    created drawing group and invoke the ‘Group Properties’    command.”   }  } }

Another equivalent pseudo-code for the current embodiment is as follows:

GroupProperties( ) {  If <Drawing Group or Groups Selected>  {  Display Group Property Dialog Box or Property Sheet, User Makes Modification and End.  }  Else If <There Are Drawing Groups in Document>  {   Display Operation Guide “Select one or more drawing groups then invoke ‘Group   Properties’ command.”  }  Else  {   Display Operation Guide “Select drawing elements for a drawing group and execute   the ‘Build Drawing Group’ command under the ‘Edit’ menu to create a drawing   group and then select the created drawing group and invoke the ‘Group Properties’   command.”  } }

Embodiment of the conditional buttons in electronic appliances: take the TV channel selection buttons on a remote control which can be used to control TV, DVD, VCR and STB (Set Top Box) as an example. This type of remote control is equipped with control target selection buttons, i.e. the TV, DVD, VCR and STB buttons. If the user unintentionally press or hit the DVD, VCR or STB buttons when watching TV, the TV channel selection buttons will not react when the user wants to change channel. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult for the user to find out why the TV channel selection buttons suddenly become not working. The present invention can solve this problem easily. Refer to FIG. 6 for a flow chart of the technical scheme from the current embodiment for the TV channel selection buttons. When the user presses down the TV channel selection buttons, the program first checks whether the remote control is currently set for controlling the TV; if “YES”, the TV channel is changed directly; if “NO”, the program then checks the current control target of the remote control and displays control target description and operation guide according to the current control target. The user can then operate according to the operation guide to change the TV channel. See FIG. 6.

The pseudo-code for the current embodiment of the TV channel selection buttons is as follows:

TVChannelSelection( ) {  If <Control target is TV>  {  Change channel accordingly.  }  Else  {   Switch (Control Target)   {   Case DVD:   Display “The remote control is set to control DVD, press the TV   button to control TV.”   Case VCR:   Display “The remote control is set to control VCR, press the TV   button to control TV.”   Case STB:   Display “The remote control is set to control STB, press the TV   button to control TV.”   }  } }

The above embodiments are examples provided for general technicians in the field to realize the present invention. Technicians in the field can make changes or modifications to the embodiments described above in accordance with the creative thoughts of the present invention. Therefore the scope of the present invention will not be limited by the above embodiments, but will be extended to the maximum extent in accordance with the creative characteristics put forward in the claims section.

The present invention offer pertinent help information for users timely, place-wisely and thoughtfully by means of embedded help, providing pertinent descriptions, operation guides and/or help, thus achieving the learning while using functionality. Software or hardware-software system created with the present invention can not only be used directly without any need for training, but is also equipped with the learning while using functionality and can be used with ever increasing proficiency. If users forget the operation procedures for certain conditional commands or buttons, the software or system can provide timely and pertinent guides, simplifying the learning and using of software. This greatly augment the ease of use for computer and electronic appliances. 

1. A human-machine interface with learning while using functionality wherein conditional commands and/or conditional buttons are embedded with intelligent descriptions, operation guides and/or help which are dependent on the document state and/or user's operational situations, provides timely and pertinent operation guide and/or help to users when it is needed realizing the intelligent learning while using functionality.
 2. The human-machine interface with learning while using functionality of claim 1 first tests the condition that needs to be satisfied for the execution of the conditional command or conditional button when users invoke the conditional command or pressed down the conditional button. If the conditions for its execution are not satisfied, it performs examination on the current state of the current document the user is working on and/or the user's operation stage or operational situations, or conducts conditional test related to the two states when only two states are possible and offers intelligent and pertinent descriptions, operation guides and/or help which are different for different document states and/or user operation situations.
 3. The human-machine interface with learning while using functionality of claim 1 executes the conditional command or the command for the conditional button directly if the conditions for the execution of the conditional command or the conditional button are satisfied in the conditional test described in claim 2, without providing any description, operation guide or help. This eliminates the drawbacks of those annoying tips which always pop-up.
 4. The human-machine interface with learning while using functionality of claim 1 wherein the conditional commands are always activated and invokable when applied to software for computers and other electronic appliances, eliminating the command update system and the conditional command update program blocks in the prior technology from the software. 